The Kiss
by Mmbookworm
Summary: This is what I think would have happened if the flock hadn't taken off immediately after the Eraser fight on the beach in SOF. 3-shot Fax R&R please and thank you. Changed to a 4-shot
1. Thinking

Author Note: . Something of an AU seeing as they left right the fight, but this is what I think may have happened if they hadn't. After the kiss on the Beach Max needs to clear her head so she takes a walk.

Max POV

Stupid, stupid, what was I thinking when I kissed him? I'll tell you what I was thinking, I wasn't thinking! Not only did I kiss Fang, but I did it in front of Gazzy which means that Iggy will know by the end of the night. Oh and then Nudge will know before the morning. Angel may remain blissfully ignorant of my lack of a mind that is until Nudge can't shut up one day. Why don't they just send me to the mental house now I mean it would make their lives so much easier.

No nutcase for a leader. I think this all on my way away from the flock now that I know that Fang is ok. I can't help myself; I touch two finger tips to my lips and hope that no one in the flock can see me touch them. They are still a little warm from where they touched Fang's. It makes me feel warm, so right, like there is nothing I want more in the world than to feel his lips against me again.

My mouth watered a little bit at the idea of his lips on mine again. I think I want to kiss Fang again- but that's not possible. I can't want to kiss Fang again; he's like my brother.

_Who you want to kiss, again, and again; is it possible that you don't see Fang as a brother, perhaps something more than just a flock member._ Enter my other insanity, the voice in my head. Yes ladies and gentlemen I have a voice in my head.

**I can't see Fang as something else. It's just not possible. We don't have time for anything like that. And anyway even if I did he would never see me that way. **I tell the voice in my head hoping that it will shut it up.

_You certainly are fighting this a lot. _The voice says before disappearing to wherever it goes when it's not annoying me to the point of tears. There is no way in the world that I could see Fang as anything other than my flock mate. It's not like he would ever want someone like me.

When I look up I have walk a good 100 yards away from the flock and am now down the beach from them near the surf. It sounds so peaceful and I sit down for a few moments before I head back and get Fang looked at. We still have a job to do despite my obvious lack of self-control.

Watching the surf wash up on the sand I start to wonder about what Fang thought of my kissing him. I wonder if it was a good kiss. I've never kissed anyone before so I don't really know how you are supposed to kiss someone. I am at least glad it was Fang who I kissed for the first time. It makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. Now I know I've gone crazy why would it matter who my first kiss was with, I'm a human-avian hybrid. I should be happy with whoever I kissed first and just be grateful for that life experience. But I can't change being really happy that it was Fang. Does that mean something?

I shrug to myself as I head back to where we've made camp for the night to get everyone asleep. Fang probably needs a little bit of medical treatment. But when I get back everyone is in their own corners. Gasman and Iggy are talking in whispered voices away from the fire. Not a good sign. Nudge is playing with Angel and Celeste. Fang is of course sitting in the middle ignoring everyone and watching the fire.

He looks up at me as walk back and says "Good walk?" he's not saying anything like I have to go somewhere until I can control myself.

"Yeah I just needed to clear my head after the fight," I told him not looking at him. The sand here is really fascinating. "Are you alright?" I ask finally daring to look at him. He doesn't look too bad.

"Yeah Angel and Nudge helped Gasman clean me up," they're growing up fast. Angel was giving the directions. Nudge was providing the opinion, Gazzy was just moral male support," the boy that never talks.

"You should get some sleep. I'll take first watch," I said to him the sand had become fascinating again.

" So we're staying here for the night?" He's watching me closely trying to catch my eyes again. I know it's not forgotten I'm just not ready to talk about it yet. So my eyes remain glued on the sand.

Slowly everyone drifts off to sleep. And I am left alone with my thoughts as the moon baths everything in its beautiful light. I've never just been able to sit and enjoy the moonlight. The moonlight and trying to convince myself that I don't have feelings for Fang. My fingers brush my lips again, where barely three hours ago Fangs lips had been. Fang, my flock mate, my friend, my hero, my better half.

**So much for convincing myself that I have no feelings for Fang. **


	2. My Max

Disclaimer: I don't own Maximum Ride because if I did they would have ended up together on the end of book 3.

Fang POV

Max just kissed me. Maximum Ride leader of the flock just kissed me! Of course she probably thought I was dying but she still kissed ME. I'm sorry if I'm excited about this but it's Max, my Max. She walked off now and I'm left with the younger one taking care of me, when it should be the other way around. She just zoned out right after she kissed me. Thank God Iggy's blind and he didn't see her kiss me.

"Hey man I got a question for you," its Iggy. I guess he wants to know what the plan is. Wish I could tell you buddy but the leader just took off on for a little space.

" Sure what's up Ig?"

"Did Max kiss you?" How did he know? It doesn't matter how he knows he just does. That's Ig our blind marvel. He must have heard it. Or Gasman told him.

"How did you?" I asked him trying to think of a way not to answer his question Max wouldn't like it.

"I didn't not until now." God damn him. "I thought I heard something that sounded like a peck, but I wasn't sure so I figured I ask," he said looking like my best friend.

"What would you know a kiss sounds like?" I asked him trying to figure out how to give Max a little privacy about this whole issue, even if that meant putting my foot down on Iggy.

"The wonders of television, took me forever but we got it to work." He said shrugging his shoulders like it's no big deal to be a broken TV back together. "We can't go back to it so it doesn't matter does it?"

"Ok just do me one favor if Max asks how you know just tell her you heard her kiss me," I ask him. He won't question me about Max because its Max and Iggy knows better.

"You liked it didn't you?"

"What?" I can't believe him Iggy doesn't care about stuff like this!

"I heard your heart start beating really fast. So no matter what you say I know you liked it," he said cocky bastard. I turned my head to see where Max had walked off to. She was down by the surf just watching the waves. I hoped she was finding some peace; I sure wasn't not with Iggy.

"Just don't tell anyone ok?" I asked him.

" Sure just remember that if you don't move fast someone's going to take her away from you," Iggy said sounding older than his 14 years.

"Yeah what you got your eye on her?" I ask and we both smirked at each other.

"Yeah I'm just waiting to make my move when you aren't watching. I've got my eye on you," he said laughing as he headed over to where Gasman was sorting through a junk pile for more bomb parts. Those two were made for each other.

After Iggy's gone I go back into my mind and think about a certain Tawny winged avian-hybrid. Max why did you kiss me? When did you start to mean this much to me? When will we be able to settle back down and take care of the flock like we did in Colorado? What can I do to keep you safe so we can take care of our family as it grows? When I look back up Max isn't in her spot down by the water but she is on her way back to camp. I know one thing. I can't look her in the eye otherwise she will know that I want her to kiss me again.

When she's back in camp across the fire from me I ask her "Good walk?"I can't say anything more complex until I know that she can't tell any difference

"Yeah I just needed to clear my head after the fight," she told me not looking down at me, just concentrating on the sand between her boots. "Are you alright?" she ask finally daring to look at me. I don't feel as bad as I did, but that doesn't mean I look any better than I did.

"Yeah," I can't look at her. I should figure out what is so fascinating about the sand here. So that is what I concentrate on. I catch her looking at me out of the corner of my eye.

"You should get some sleep. I'll take first watch," she said to him the sand had become fascinating again.

"So we're staying here for the night?" I ask watching her closely trying to catch my eyes again. I think I have my feelings buried enough that I don't have to be afraid to look her in the eye.

I get up and head over to a quiet spot not far from where Iggy and Gasman are making more bombs. It's quiet over here and I'm far enough away from Max so that she can have a little space. I pull my wings out and wrap them around me for a little warmth and so that I can watch Max without her knowing.

What Iggy said about someone else will eventually be interested in her. I'm not really all that surprised. I mean Max is amazing; she is a Mom at 14 and does a great job, we would be lost without her. I would lose everything in the world that meant more to me than my own life. When did I start seeing Max this way? She has been my flock mate, the one person I can depend on to have my back no matter what. The only person I would lose my wings for.

She will always be my Max.


	3. Knowing

Max POV

I ended up on watch most of the night. It really wasn't that bad, I needed the time to think about what was going on with my life. I mean I JUST realized that I love my best friend who might I add has been a brother to me for the last um I don't know 14 years? Talk about Freudian, I don't even really know what that means but it sounds right*.

I watched him sleep, after he fell asleep that is. He watched me for a little while. And no I didn't actually see him watching me. Not that that would have stopped him. I can just feel when his eyes are on me. Kinda makes you wonder if maybe, just maybe this isn't suppose to be. No this is FANG we are talking about. There is no way in the world I could possibly care about him as anything more than a flock member.

_You called him your better half. _Which God did I piss off in a former life to end up stuck with a voice inside my head in THIS ONE?!

**Could you, um, I don't know take a break for a day? I mean would it really kill you not be such a pain in the butt? **

_Maximum what would be so bad about caring about Fang? _That's it when I get the first chance I am going to get this voice outta my head.

**You know it would mess up everything. I mean what would the others think, or say if one day Fang and I were just like so we thought that since we you know grew up together and have developed these feelings for one another that we would date. And when would we date, between Eraser attacks, and taking care of the kids? I mean really it's not like this is a normal life. **

_Not for a normal girl. But Maximum, you aren't a normal girl. Fang knows that, and the others know how you both feel. As for dating everything has a way of working itself out. _

**Just go away. I need time to think this through. **

_If that will make you happy. Goodnight Maximum. _ And then like that it was gone and I was alone with my thoughts once again.

My thoughts of Fang and what it would like to kiss him when he isn't dying. How nice it would feel to have his lips mold to mine without the tangy salty taste of blood. Or the wide eyes of an 8 year old boy. Yes that would be nice. That would be Heaven actually.

And there I go again. I can't-won't, fall for Fang.

_Too late. _

"Dammit" I didn't mean to say it out loud. But it came out anyway.

"What, what did you say?" the sleepy voice of Fang calls to me in the dark.

"Nothing go back to sleep. You don't need to take a watch tonight. If I need a break I'll wake up Iggy or Nudge," I tell him but from the darkness I can hear him get up and move to sit next to me.

"We need to talk," simple and to the point; that's my Fang. No, not my Fang that's Fang.

"Yeah, I'm sorry I don't know what I was thinking," I said I'm so not ready to talk to him about this.

"I'm not," it's not much better than the one word answers he's known for. But it's screaming more at me than I want right now. Great so Fang is perfectly fine with how he's feeling. But I'm not ready to juggle more roles I'm already mom, the leader, the one with all the answers, the rock for this family. I can't handle girlfriend. Besides he deserves someone normal. He deserves a chance at a normal life. He won't get that with me. The girl who has to save the world.

_Did you ever think that maybe that is exactly what HE WANTS? He wants a girl he knows he isn't going to have to protect all the time._ Thank the voice for its ever helpful inputs.

Actually the scary thing is it's been actually kinda helpful on this which scares me even more. I have a matchmaker in my head. And not just any matchmaker it's trying to set me up with my oldest friend. That doesn't make sense to me.

"Oh," great now I'm the one who is using one word answers. "I was just so scared that you wouldn't be ok," he's the only one I would admit to being afraid to. Suddenly he scooted closer to me and put his arm around my shoulders resting just above my wings. I stretch my wings out a little bit to hug him without actually moving from the comfortable position in his arms. He dark ebony wings do the same only one comes around in front of us so we have a little privacy should any of the flock wake up to get some water.

"I know," when did Fang suddenly become so understanding? It's like he's someone else.

"Can I ask you something?" Some part of me has been wondering this for awhile.

"You can ask me anything," he says leaning close to me so our foreheads are almost touching.

"Why did you attack Ari? I mean did you think I couldn't handle it?" I ask hoping he says no.

"No I attacked Ari because well I didn't want you fighting him. I don't know what I would do if I lost you," That has to be one of the longest things he has ever said. I give him a tiny smile of gratitude.

And like in the movies, which by the way I have never really seen. He moves in close and lightly brushes his lips against mine. My breath catches in my throat and he pulls away.

"I'm sorry, I just don't know what to say or do really," and it's the God's honest truth. I don't know what to do about this. I know I can't live without him. I know that I don't want to try it. But I also know that there's no way we can be together right now. He pulls away from me a little and immediately I want him back close to me.

"It's ok, just tell me when you are ready," he said. I can hear the disappointment in his voice. I wonder how long he's been wanting something like this to happen. " Max I'll take the rest of the watches, you should sleep a little," he says and he comes back close to me so I can share my warmth with him.

I nod sleepily and smile at him as I curl up in his arms our wings making a tiny little room for us. "Just wake me up if you need to sleep." I say right before I fall asleep and I know that he'll still be holding me when I wake up. I smile softly in my sleep knowing Fang is there.

Babixilyx3: Thanks for both you're reviews. It really did make me feel great seeing that you did that.

The Flock's Bud: Thanks so much. I'm really trying to keep them in character while maintaining the Faxyness

SaracasticLost: Thanks I'm not sure how much farther I can take it but it got extend for you from a 3-shot to a 4-shot.

* I know what that means. I just don't think Max would. She's more of a by the seat of your pants kinda girl. Basically for those of you who haven't taken Psych 101 it means that she has a minor incest-like relationship with Fang.


	4. Promise

Fang POV

I sit and listen to Gasman and Iggy talk about the best way to find materials for bombs on the run. They are arguing the points between dumpster diving in general, or whether to go to a specific store and dive there. I don't pay strict attention to their conversation, my mind is elsewhere. Specifically the person on who my eyes are resting on, she has tawny wings, blonde hair, and beautiful chocolate eyes.

Time passes eventually the argument between the two pyros eventually stops arguing and they fall asleep. I don't, my eyes never stray from the angel across the fire from me.

"Dammit" it's whispered, but it still wakes me up. I guess I'm a little on edge.

"What, what did you say?"I ask her while I am slowly waking up.

"Nothing go back to sleep. You don't need to take a watch tonight. If I need a break I'll wake up Iggy or Nudge," she tells me from across the darkened camp, but who am I to listen to her. We heal fast I'll be fine by morning. I get up and move stiffly to sit right by her.

"We need to talk," I say and then remains silent for a little while letting her say what I know she has spent this entire time thinking about.

"Yeah, I'm sorry I don't know what I was thinking," she said I can tell that she is telling the truth. That she doesn't know how she feels about me for certain.

"I'm not," it's not much better than the one word answers I'm known for. But it's screaming everything I want her to know. I know it's no comfort to her to know I am certain about what I want. But I know she's not ready to juggle more roles already the mom, the leader, the one with all the answers, the rock for this family. Probably can't handle girlfriend. Besides she deserves someone who doesn't have wings. She deserves someone normal. Someone that could give her the world.

I know the chances of that are slim considering our situation. We could never stay in one place long enough for that. But she is still an angel.

"Oh," she's using one word answers now. I guess I kinda sprung this on her. "I was just so scared that you wouldn't be ok," I'm the only one she would admit to being afraid to. I don't want her to be afraid, so I move over closer to her and offer my comfort; I put my arm around her and hold her close to me. She stretched her wings out a little bit to hug me without actually moving from her position in my arms. I decide to take her comfort and actions to the next level. I stretch my dark wings to do the same only positioning one in front of us so we have a little privacy should any of the flock wake up to get some water.

"I know," I say hoping to give her some more comfort.

"Can I ask you something?" She's got a question to ask me. It's a hard one to ask apparently.

"You can ask me anything," I say leaning close to her so our foreheads are almost touching.

"Why did you attack Ari? I mean did you think I couldn't handle it?" she asks, now she's thinking that I think she can't handle Ari. Not what my intention was. I just don't like the idea of her fighting with him. It's not something she should have to do.  
"No I attacked Ari because well I didn't want you fighting him. I don't know what I would do if I lost you," It's the honest truth. I wouldn't know where to go if I lost Max. My world would collapse. I don't know if I could even manage to take care of the flock if I lost her.

From earlier I vaguely remember her lips and I want to feel them again. I have a small favor to repay Max. I lean in slowly giving her time to pull away if she wants. She doesn't with the kids nearby I make it quick. Just a brush like as a feather, I hear her breath catch and pull away.

"I'm sorry, I just don't know what to say or do really," She's being honest with me. I don't know what to do about this. I know I can't live without her. I know that I don't want to try it. But I also know that there's no way we can be together right now. So I pull away from me a little and immediately I only want to be back close to her.

"It's ok, just tell me when you are ready," I tell her. I'm disappointed, but she's my world. So I can wait for her to realize what we mean to each other. " Max I'll take the rest of the watches, you should sleep a little," I say and coming back closer, because it's the only place I want to be. Close to her.

She nod sleepily and smiles at me as she curls back up in my arms our wings making a tiny little room for us. "Just wake me up if you need to sleep." she say right before she fall asleep in my arms. She knows that I'll still be holding her when she wakes up. I smile softly knowing that she is safe in my arms, if only for tonight.

Max, she's all I can think about right now. It doesn't help that we have kissed two times in the last 24 hours. I know you aren't ready to have anything with me. I'm sorry but I'm not going to stop trying to win you. I promise to never force anything on you, but I will never stop trying to win your heart.

Babixilyx3: Thanks again for the review. I tried to make it work like Patterson would but while giving them a relationship. Hoped you liked it.

The Flock's Bud: Two Brand new updates just for you!

SaracasticLost: Hope you have gotten the chance to read the rest of the story.

VenomShadowCatt: Hey welcome! I'm sorry that you have only found this so late in the story. But I will try to write more stories here shortly.

AN: Hey guys I don't know how to thank you all for the review s; I really like writing these stories I absolutely love the Flock but I'm not sure what to write next. So any one have any suggestions or requests I would be more than happy to fulfill.


	5. Sequel Info

Hi guys, I know for all you who wanted me to continue this story are gonna be disappointed to find out this isn't really an update. But I do have a little something for you. I am going to keep up with the little snippets between Max and Fang. Not 100% sure what the next is gonna be about. Pretty sure that it is going to follow the dating series from Anne's. So it will probably end up being decently long for those of you who like it that way.

I think it's gonna be called Regaining Paradise

When I get to posting it in the next week I will put an update on here with the story name.


	6. Sequel info 2

There ok. Sequelish thingy up. Go read AND review it. It's called Regaining Paradise. Have I mentioned I want reviews for this one yet? Lol


End file.
